Call for Monkey King ArtworkS
San Francisco Opera MOnkey King Art Exhibition
Applications due: Monday, October 20, 2025 at 11:59PM
Illustration by Brian Stauffer
Application Due Date:
MON, October 20, 2025 at 11:59PM
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This Fall 2025, San Francisco Opera will be celebrating their upcoming production of The Monkey King with a Monkey Art Exhibition co-curated by Quynh-Mai Nguyen + Amanda Rawson of Art Builds Community and Caitlin Pambid.
The curators are seeking Monkey King Artworks from Bay Area artists of diverse visual disciplines to apply and submit their artwork to be considered for this exhibition. The Monkey King Art Exhibition will run during the Monkey King opera production from November 14 – 30, 2025 and culminate with a China Town Market celebration at the San Francisco Opera venue on Friday, November 28th and Sunday, November 30th.
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The Monkey King is a revered character, an immortal trickster deity seeking redemption. A comedic figure, he has a proud and impulsive streak that gets him into trouble, but Sun Wukong is also cunning and ruthless in battle. We want artists to present the cross-cultural versions of the Monkey King they grew up knowing. We want to see many depictions of him for audiences to feel a connection to his multi-faceted character, expanding their initial beliefs of who he is. Audiences can expect to see various portraits and scenes of the Monkey King accompanied with iconography he’s known for -- the cloud he flies upon and powerful staff.
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The Monkey King:
Based on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, The Monkey King makes its much-anticipated world premiere at the War Memorial Opera House. This new, action-packed opera combines high-energy music and text with puppetry, dance, Peking opera, and Buddhist sutras to tell the tale of the Monkey King’s beginnings.
The Monkey King is a beloved figure and has inspired countless interpretations in popular culture. A monkey born from stone, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) is determined to find immortality for his tribe. Many scoff at his aspirations, but he is set on proving them wrong with his signature cunning and charm. He wins every battle against legendary warriors, but the respect he longs for is always out of reach. What will it take for the gods to recognize him as an equal?
Award-winning director Diane Paulus and puppeteer Basil Twist conjure up a whimsical world of gods, tricksters, superheroes, and rebels. Huang Ruo’s soaringly beautiful, energized score and David Henry Hwang’s incisive libretto blend traditional Chinese and contemporary Western styles into an extraordinary work that gives new voice to this enduring story. Carolyn Kuan makes her Company debut on the podium. -
Apply to be considered as an exhibition artist:
All visual disciplines are welcomed to apply
Artworks must be able to be hung up on a wall
Artwork that requires a platform or pedestal are subject to approval.
Dimensions:
Frame: 11”x14” maximum
Artwork: smaller than 11” x14” (ex. 8”x10”)
Artists must prepare pieces ready for installation if possible.
If you need support in hardware for your pieces that may not be traditionally hung up, please let us know through the form.
Artists are invited to attend either one of the Market Show dates (11/28 or 11/30) for the “Artist Reception”
If you are making new artwork, please send us an in-progress image of your work to be considered through the form submission.
Art must be suitable for all-ages / PG-13
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Open Call: Mon, 10/6/2025
Close Call / Applications Due: Mon, 10/20/2025, 11:59PM
Notifications of Acceptance: 10/21/25 - 10/23/25
Art Drop: 11/3/25 – 11/5/25
San Franisco Drop-Off Location 11/5/25
San Francisco Opera / War Memorial Opera House 401 Van Ness
San Jose Drop-Off Location: 11/5/25 is last day for drop-off
Art Builds Community: 510 S 1 Street
Exhibition Installation – Fri, 11/14/25
Indoor Art Exhibition: 11/14/25 – 11/30/25 during scheduled show dates. The show is accessible to ticket holders of the Opera and are open during the following Monkey King Show Dates for ticket holders:
FRI, Nov.14, 2025, at 7:30 PM - Show
SUN, Nov.16, 2025, at 2 PM - Show
TUE, Nov.18, 2025, at 7:30 PM - Show
THU, Nov. 20, 2025, at 7:30 PM - Show
SAT, Nov. 22, 2025, at 7:30 PM - Show
TUE, Nov. 25, 2025, at 7:30 PM - Show
FRI, Nov. 28, 2025, at 5:30PM - Show + Outdoor Night Market
SUN, Nov. 30, 2025, at Noon - Matinee Show + Outdoor Day Market
Monkey King Market Celebrations / Artist Reception
FRI, November 28, 2025 at Noon
Outdoor Night Market (Free) | 5:30PM – 8:30PM
Evening Opera Show - 7PM (Purchase Tickets)
SUN, November 30, 2025 at Noon
Outdoor Day Market (Free) | 12PM – 3PM
Matinee Opera Show - 2PM (Purchase Tickets)
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To learn more about the upcoming events for The Monkey King: https://www.sfopera.com/dec/community-programs/monkey-king-events/
Purchase Tickets for The Monkey King Opera:
https://www.sfopera.com/operas/the-monkey-king/If you have any questions, please contact both
Quynh-Mai Nguyen, quynh-mai[at]artbuildscommunity[dot]com
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Quỳnh-Mai Nguyễn is a multidisciplinary social practice artist, curator, community organizer, creative producer, and co-owner of Art Builds Community (ABC). She has over 13 years of experience in curating arts and cultural programs for small and intimate events to large festivals. In 2018, KQED Arts Bay Brilliant named her one of 10 recognized movement builders for arts and culture in the Bay Area. She believes in encouraging artists to create art as a way to share and determine their own narratives rather than be subject to others. Creating art is a way to create new artifacts to replace those that have been outdated, appropriated, and/or erased. Some of her current curations include the Lunar New Year Art Exhibition, which she has curated for the past eight years to promote local and emerging AANHPI artists and the further development of art experiences for cultural plazas, neighborhoods, and non-traditional spaces.
Amanda Rawson is an accomplished arts leader, curator, and strategist with a multi-faceted background in public art, consulting, and museum management. As Co-owner at Art Builds Community (ABC), she develops public art plans, creative placemaking, and co-manages curation for cities and institutions. Her work—including projects at the Vietnamese American Service Center (VASC), the Creekside Art Corridor, and for San Jose Jazz—is driven by a core commitment to inclusivity, accessibility, and reflecting local community identity. This expertise is reinforced by her foundation in arts administration, which includes roles at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles and program development for CreaTV San Jose.
Caitlin Pambid is a young professional interested in museum work, specifically curation or collections management. She currently interns at the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park in exhibits, collections, and preservation departments. She has also curated for Chopsticks Alley Art, focusing on Southeast Asian artists. Representation is at the forefront when she curates. With her anthropological background, Caitlin operates as a cultural detective to curate exhibitions that bring attention to ideas and issues that are otherwise difficult to articulate without the structure an exhibit provides. Her published research, “Death to the Museum (As We Know It),” further articulates that goal and how cultural exhibitions can become active sites for meaningful change.